Discussion: So, you don't wear pitching protective gear!!

So, you don't wear pitching protective gear!!I play a variety of positions. At the Northern Nats this weekend, I ended up pitching most of the games. Had more balls hit at me than in the whole season combined. I got most as usual but "3" were interesting.

1. A hard liner hit about 4/5' in front of me, didn't come up and slammed into my right shin. Result, a loud boom and the ball bounced off my shin guard and runner was throw out. No injury-no pain.

2. A hard liner hit about 4/5' in front of me and came up hard waist high sticking in the top 2/3s of my glove. The audible click was the other 1/3 of the ball hitting my cup. Result, double play. No injury-no pain.

3. While pitching from the 60' line. a hard liner came my way and as I went down with the glove it hit the front part of the rubber and jumped up hitting me between the right eye socket and right temple. There was a very loud boom with the ball bouncing off my helmet and face mask. Result, runner was safe but no injury no pain.

If you pitch and have been stubborn about protective gear, you might want to reconsider.

I need all the help I can get . Just turned 60 this year and pitching for CJS at 55 level. I wear Knee guards with extra protection Soccer guards underneath. I also bought a new face mask and Helmit recently that gives me better vision and air flow. I plan to buy Chest protector for next season and anything else I can to cover myself up. It will not slow my speed down any more anyway HA. CJS has a screen for practice and it is helping me to get used to it as I suspect it will be a part of game very soon with all these pitching injuries.I have seen some terrible injuries with pitchers etc. I do not know how anyone would pitch without protection. I understand how much it costs pitchers to play the position money wise and emotionally. I still believe 1-1 counts higher ark would help BUT I will keep playing as long as I am able to with God's blessing. I enjoy being on the field and continue to love being a small part of the game with you guys. I am blessed. GI. Thanks terry and members for letting us play the game.

I was one of those player hold outs that utilized no protective gear of any kind. At 63, I finally woke up and now have a mask and shin guards. I thought with all of the injuries that I was reading about, that I did not want to continue to press my luck. I only have to remove my mask to bat. The shin guards have no effect on my batting or running, so I leave them on the entire game. Maybe a chest guard in a few years too?

Gary-glad you weren't hurt. And we have another deflection off the rubber.

SSUSA-I've said it for 20 years and will continue to say it until it happens. PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING THE PITCHERS RUBBER OUT OF THE SLOWPITCH GAME. It serves NO purpose except to deflect a ball-potentially into the face or body of a pitcher.

Duke
If you want a chest protector that you can wear all game try the EVOSHIELD chest protector. It slides into a pocket of a tight fitting shirt (you can take it in or out during the game). You form the Kevlar shield to your own chest. I wear the entire game. I also wear Lacross goalie shin pads under my pants, a cup and a softball batting helmet with a metal face guard.
I do not trust the plastic face shields! It is a shame we have to wear all this, but get hit just once and you could be done for quite a while.
I agree with Gary!!!

leftybob....for just a mask i would use the rip-it one...it is metal and you have great vision with it.....for a helmet,there are many styles,i like the worth pitching helmet,light good vision and has air holes on the top of it....

now gary,do you think you were hit at b/c of you wearing the safety equipment,or it was the way you were pitching the batters......

Weebbie that's actually a good idea to remove the actual rubber. I don't pitch but I've definitely noticed some pitching rubbers that stick out which make me gald i don't pitch. Do you think it would last if they drew a line of paint on the dirt to mark the rubber?

Webbie, you are spot on. There is no reason to have the rubber out there. Stick, the lines for the pitching box are 3' in front of the rubber and 7' behind. There is no line at the rubber and it serves no purpose.

I agree with Weebie and Stick. There is no sense having a rubber.
I also like the Worth pitching helmet, but like I said I use a Softball Batting Helmet with a metal face guard because I like the brim to shade my eyes. These are very light and are very comfortable. I have also seen a few guys use a Lacross helmet. But they do something to the facemask for better vision.
I HOPE ALL PITCHERS AT LEAST WEAR A CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I doubt you'll see it remove since SSUSA in not the only game in town for any park. I doubt the cost of removing and replacing after events will happen. They should be leveled out, so no lip is there all the way around. Simple groundskeeper fix.
If they do any of that, I bet it's a 'excuse' for raising the fees again. Not that they need it or don't anyway.
Don't forget NSA controls the parks in Vegas at least.

Gary, we too have bought a pitching screen for use at BP. Got it from Dicks Sporting Goods for a little over $180. Made by Jugs and comes in a bag similar to a bat bag. Sets up in minutes. We will take it to all our tournaments. I believe our local league will seriously consider using screens next year. We had an 80 year old hit just above the right eye with a line drive. Don't know how he wasn't hurt seriously, but we were lucky. He was back playing the next week, but he decided wearing a mask was a good idea.

Curveball I understand but not every game played utilizes the pitching box. I've umpired mens USSSA conference tournaments and all pitchers must pitch from the rubber--no pitching box. In many house leagues pitchers don't even know theirs a pitching box. Webbie brought up a valid point that the rubber can be a dangerous thing to contend with. I've played on field turf where, I'm guessing here, a painted line represents where the rubber would be placed. I just wonder if that painted line used on field turf could be permanent on dirt?

This is the fifth time I have put this on the board and the first time that it has gotten any legs about the rubber. I think that it will take a concerted effort to get manufacturers to make a removable rubber, maybe something like the bases. A small indicator of the position of the rubber could stick up on either end of where the rubber would normally be. As far as a permanent line-not many pitchers I know actually want to get CLOSER to the plate and these bats. I think if the softball organizations get together on this it could happen quickly for the safety of the game.

Webbie25, I have responded to your valid perspective on useless pitching rubbers in the past. The ultimate idiocy was when I played in Medford, Oregon on a turf field. Great facility with one exception—there was a pitching rubber sticking up out of the artificial turf infield!

Happened to run into the field manager and an umpire before the tournament and asked them both why the pitching rubber wasn't just part of the artificial turf as it is at all BLD and other turf fields. They had no legitimate answer. One thought the younger players liked it. The other said tradition. I said "unnecessary danger".

The only reason I could imagine is that fast-pitch pitchers like to push off from a raised rubber (I did myself back in the day), but I forgot to ask if they ever had fast-pitch games on those fields (maybe girls softball uses them, but in our area, girls fast pitch teams want real dirt, not artificial turf).

But the danger for the pitcher is high enough without a lip in front of you. What is needed is a real good solution for dirt infields where you don't have to rechalk the rubber every other game. Maybe a plastic spray?

If your a manager and have a pitcher that takes a blood thinner,i.e. coumadine or other. You should make it mandatory that he wear headgear. Any ball to the face or head is bad but combined with that medication is far worse.

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